~written for the challenge Your Goal: 34 Stories, Our Gift: 106 reviews ~

Overall Romance

Disclaimer: Anything I don't own, isn't mine.

-Round 1: Severus Snape/Lucius Malfoy-

Clam (secretly, in secret)

You had felt his eyes on you all through the meeting. The Dark Lord had left the premises, but you still felt an oppressive weight upon you that for once had nothing to do with the overall gloom of Malfoy Manor. Slowly, you turned your head to meet the force of his glare, and though you did not show it, you were marginally surprised when he did not look away. Evidently the man's confidence level was intricately tied to a certain presence.

You stood and pushed your chair in, before nodding sharply at the few who caught your eye and heading to the room assigned to your potions.

You knew you could not relax there; could not relax anywhere, but the room, the contents, were familiar to you and you allowed the calming atmosphere to at least relieve some of the tension you held in your shoulders. Tension that soon increased twofold when you heard the door creak and out of the corner of your eye you saw a streak of white against the overall grayness of the room that could only belong to one person.

"Is there some part of The Dark Lord's instruction that you do not understand, Lucius? Something that I could clear up for you?"

You saw his mouth twitch at the barely concealed insult. He walked around you, seemingly intently examining a shelf of your potions. He was behind you, but you did not move to face him, even when you felt his breath on your shoulder.

"I saw you, at the meeting."

You bit back the sarcastic retort that came instantly to you and instead said nothing, knowing that he wasn't about to complement you on your fine diplomatic skills.

"I saw you...Severus...staring."

You resisted the urge to roll your eyes, wishing that he would get to the point. You knew he was looking for any sign of emotion from you, so you carefully kept your features schooled into a mask of indifference, rather than the increasing annoyance that you felt.

"I saw you staring at my wife."

This time you barely managed to keep your face straight.

"Answer me, damn you!"

He threw a vial that crashed against the opposite wall, sending a cloud of purple smoke racing for the doorway. You turned your head marginally to face him, felt his shallower breaths on your cheek now, saw the redness of his skin and the small amount of spittle gathered at the corner of his mouth.

"Anyone coming into contact with that will need to see me for an antidote, so if you could refrain from damaging any more of The Dark Lord's property."

You inwardly smirked as Lucius paled slightly at your emphasis on His name, but as He was not actually present, it did not take long for him to regain his anger.

"You sat through that meeting, staring at my wife, Snape."

You wondered how Narcissa could put up with him on a daily basis, if his propensity for stating the obvious more than once was thus.

"I know she is attractive, Severus. Want her for yourself, do you? Think you've got more to offer; think that you can lure her away from me...do you?"

You felt his spittle on your cheek but made no move, either to wipe it off or to speak. He moved to stand further in front of you, now, so that you were almost nose to nose. He smiled then, some of the Malfoy cockiness returning to his demeanour.

"You want to know where Narcissa was last night...what she was doing last night?"

Your stomach plummeted slightly, knowing what was coming next. You knew that your face didn't show any different, but Lucius carried on with a renewed sparkle in his eye.

"Make you jealous, does it? Shall I tell you what I was doing to her last night...in our bed?"

He grabbed your face then, your cheeks squeezed between his thumb and forefinger, forcing you to look at him.

"I was fucking my wife last night, Snape. Every which way. She screamed so hard she broke silencing charms. Screaming my name..."

You couldn't have explained to anyone what you were thinking, only that you wanted him to be silent. You grabbed his arm and pushed him backwards with enough force as to send another shelf of vials crashing and clattering to the floor. You stumbled backwards with him, his grip on your face tighter still. You held him against the wall, both of you breathing heavily now.

"Be silent, Malfoy."

Your actions betrayed your feelings, but your voice was as calm and steady as ever. He let go of his vice grip around your face, only to hold his forefinger tight against you cheek.

"Stay the hell away from my wife, Snape, or I swear..."

"You swear what, Lucius?" you almost whispered into his ear, your lips so close to it that you could feel the heat emanating off it. "You'll kill me? Tell on me? Tell The Dark Lord, Lucius. I'm sure he'd be happy to give me your wife, given your recent record. I'm sure I could...please her, just as well."

He roared, and made to lunge at you, but your size concealed the level of your strength and you held him tight against the wall. You managed to rip his hand away from your face and pin his wrist above his head.

"What makes you think it is you I am jealous of? I have no interest in Narcissa. Never have. Leave this be, Lucius, or you'll regret it."

You held him there until you felt him relax slightly, but even then, you kept hold of him for slightly longer. You could feel his leg between yours, his heart beating rapidly almost flush against your own. He was searching your eyes, and you were not sure if could manage to conceal any longer the desire you felt. His eyes widened slightly, and you hoped it was at your words and not your expression.

"Is that a threat?" he asked, his voice almost shaking now.

You again resisted the urge to roll your eyes. What else could it have been construed as?

"Lucius..." you ran your hand down his hair, and let it rest on his cheek, watching his eyes widen in recognition, and perhaps horror. You committed the feeling to memory, never having expected this, and knowing that you'd never again get the chance. You held your lips close to his. "Leave it be." As you spoke, you barely felt the ghost of the touch of his lips. You wanted to stay there, wanted him to say 'no, I will not', wanted him to see, to accept...to touch you without anger. But you didn't...he didn't, and so you pushed away from him, robes billowing about you as you swept from the room, leaving behind your feelings to be banished along with the shattered glass.